863 Pollia Pullover - Knitting Pattern for Women in Valley Superwash DK by Valley Yarns

863 Pollia Pullover – Knitting Pattern for Women by Valley Yarns

The 863 Pollia Pullover is a beautifully detailed women's cable knit sweater pattern designed by Julie Turjoman and published by Valley Yarns. This intermediate-level knitting pattern produces a plush, three-season pullover featuring an intricate front cable panel, reverse stockinette body and sleeves, and elegant saddle shoulders — a timeless construction detail that seamlessly extends the cable motif from sleeve to shoulder. Whether you're deepening your cable knitting skills or looking for a rewarding project with sophisticated results, the Pollia Pullover offers a satisfying knit with impressive visual impact.

What Is Being Made

The finished garment is a women's pullover sweater worked in pieces from the bottom up, featuring an A-line body silhouette with positive ease of 2–4 inches for a comfortable, relaxed fit. The sweater is available in eight sizes ranging from XS through 4XL, with finished bust measurements spanning 32½ inches to 59 inches. The sample shown in the pattern is knitted in Size S. A ribbed crew neckline is picked up from live stitches and worked in the round to finish the garment neatly.

Design Details and Construction

The Pollia Pullover is constructed in separate pieces — front, back, and sleeves — and then seamed together, a method well-suited to intermediate knitters who want to practice garment finishing techniques. Key construction highlights include:

• Front cable panel: A detailed, multi-stitch cable panel forms the visual centerpiece of the sweater's front. Two cable widths are used depending on size — a 32-stitch cable panel (approximately 5 inches wide) for sizes S, M, and 2XL, and a 38-stitch cable panel (approximately 6 inches wide) for sizes XS, L, XL, 3XL, and 4XL.
• Reverse stockinette background: The back of the sweater and the sleeves are worked in reverse stockinette stitch, which creates a purl-faced fabric that provides a soft, textured contrast to the raised cable panel on the front.
• Saddle shoulders: A classic tailoring detail, the saddle shoulder extends a narrower version of the cable pattern from the center of each sleeve up and across the shoulder strap, visually unifying the garment and adding structural elegance.
• A-line body shaping: The body is shaped with gradual A-line tapering. Extra stitches are cast on at the beginning of the body to compensate for the natural inward pull of cable patterns, ensuring accurate finished dimensions.
• Sleeves: Worked from the cuff upward, the sleeves feature reverse stockinette with a narrow cable running up the center, which then continues across the saddle shoulder strap.
• Crew neck ribbing: Stitches for the neckband are picked up from live neckline stitches and worked in the round to create a neat, fitted ribbed crew neck.

Techniques Used

This pattern is rated intermediate to experienced and incorporates a range of techniques that will build and reinforce core knitting skills:

• Cable knitting: The central technique of this pattern, cables are created by crossing groups of stitches over one another using a cable needle. Once the cable repeat is established, knitters often find the rhythm becomes intuitive and satisfying.
• Flat knitting (back and forth in rows): All pieces are worked flat, making this an excellent project for knitters who prefer seamed construction.
• Working in the round: Used specifically for the ribbed crew neckline, which is picked up and worked circularly after the body pieces are assembled.
• A-line shaping: Gradual stitch decreases shape the body from a wider hem to a fitted bust, creating the classic A-line silhouette.
• Saddle shoulder construction: An advanced garment-shaping technique where the sleeve top extends into a strap that sits across the shoulder, connecting front and back.
• Picking up stitches: Required for the neckband, this technique involves drawing up stitches along the neckline edge to begin the ribbed collar.
• Seaming: As a pieced garment, finishing involves joining